The Pitt got a whopping 25 Emmy nominations this year for its second season. As I’ve said before, I didn’t think this season was as good as the first. On the other hand, a lot of this year’s nominations (13!) are for acting, which makes sense for such an ensemble show. (What doesn’t make sense is those nominations leaning on the white side, but that’s another conversation.) All that to say, the Creative Arts Emmys happened over the weekend, where The Pitt picked up four wins: Casting (well-deserved), Prosthetics (ditto), Original Music & Lyrics (wait, what?), and Guest Actor in a Drama. Ernest Harden Jr. became an Emmy winner for the first time in his nearly-five-decade career for his poignant portrayal of Louie. He beat out fellow Pitt guest star Jeff Kober, who played Dr. Robby’s mechanic friend Duke across six episodes. But don’t worry — Kober already has a Daytime Emmy win under his belt. Congrats, Ernest!
The Pitt’s Ernest Harden Jr. is now an Emmy winner for his memorable role on the medical drama.
The actor, 73, won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, beating out Colman Domingo for Euphoria, Jeff Hiller for Pluribus, Jonathan Pryce for Slow Horses and Bradley Whitford for The Diplomat [and Jeff Kober for The Pitt].
Harden won for his portrayal of Louie Cloverfield in The Pitt. A familiar face in the show’s emergency room, Louie is a “frequent flyer” patient whose connection with the hospital staff takes on greater emotional weight as his health deteriorates. Harden was recognized for the episode “7:00 A.M.,” which chronicles the final chapter of Louie’s story.
In August, he revealed during a panel at HBO Max’s Emmy nominee celebration that he went to extreme lengths to physically embody Louie’s declining health, including temporarily going off his blood pressure medication.
“I did something that was very dangerous,” he said, according to Gold Derby, explaining that the decision made it difficult for him to breathe and helped inform his performance.
Harden acknowledged the risk and said he would not recommend the approach to others. He also recalled the difficulty of filming Louie’s death, noting, “Playing death was not easy. I had to hold my breath a lot.”
Eeks, I had no idea he went off medication to “aid” his performance. You don’t need to do that, Ernest, trust your acting skills! Medical-Method tangent aside, I’m thrilled for Ernest’s win. I love stories like this, when jobbing actors get their flowers after working for decades. And you’ll never guess who Ernest paid tribute to in his acceptance speech? Bette Davis! Early in his career, Ernest starred with the legend in a 1980 TV movie called White Mama. Ernest told reporters backstage that Bette really went to bat for him, even after the production was receiving racist hate mail. They became so close that they’d celebrate holidays together! And when White Mama was nominated for Emmys, Ernest says that Bette asked him to accept the award on her behalf if she won (she didn’t). That prompted Ernest to say upon his win: “But now, 46 years later, here I am. Ms. Davis, 46 years later, this one’s for us. Thank you.” Gah, I’m not cutting raw onions, YOU are! And no less important, Ernest definitely came dressed to win on Sunday, wearing a be-glittered suit that would’ve made Margo Channing proud.
The countdown is officially on to Emmys Sunday Monday next weekend. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a Pitt-y night.
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- Whitaker and students intend to pull 6L from Louie, he’s more concerned about his tooth. (Warrick Page/MAX)
Photos credit: Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images and Warrick Page/HBO Max
Well deserved!! I lost it when Dr. Robbie told his story after the character died and couldn’t even talk about it without crying afterwards.
FANTASTIC! well deserved.
Congratulations and well-deserved. I only wish we could have seen him go up on the stage during her the regular telecast.